Kathmandu, December 23:

Kathmanduities, who no longer want to see stray dogs, would be happy to know that an NGO, Animal Birth Control (ABC), is trying to control the birth of stray dogs for three years.

Dr Babu Ram Gautam, chief of Department of Public Health and Social Development at Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), today told this daily that they have already sterilised 4,500 stray dogs till date. He said: “The KMC would be a zone free of stray dogs in 15 years if this programme is successful.”

ABC is a programme initiated in 2004 by the Kathmandu Valley Animal Treatment (KAT) to sterilise female stray dogs. The KAT, an NGO, and the KMC are working together. He said: “The KMC has provided the required human resources to ABC.”

The organisation gathers female stray dogs, keeps them in their treatment centre and sets them free after sterilisation. They also mark some signs on those dogs’ ears so that they can be differentiated from other non-sterilised dogs.

Before launching the ABC programme, the KMC used to kill stray dogs by feeding them poison. This plan failed as only 50 per cent dogs used to consume poison and the remaining 50 per cent would continue giving birth. He said: “The poisoning programme proved ineffective and animal right activists opposed the attempt. So, we stopped the programme.”

The story of stray cows and oxen is different. Implementation Division at the KMC collects stray cows and oxen and sends them to farmers of Dhading and Chitwan so that farmers there could domesticate animals.

Dhanapati Sapkota, chief at the division, said: “We are looking for some social organisation to continue this programme,” adding: “We have already announced a public notice, but any organisation which could handle

this work has not been found yet.”